Wireless communications devices, such as cellular telephones, are typically portable and are therefore subjected to a wide variety of mechanical vibrations and shocks. Accordingly, such devices must be constructed to withstand mechanically harsh environments without failing due to internal damage, short circuits, or the like. In particular, the electronic components within the device must be secured in place so as to prevent their movement and the resulting damage inside the device. Further, if the wireless communications device includes multiple layers of electronic components, the various layers must in general be held apart so at to prevent various malfunctions such as short circuits and the like.
Typically, electronic components within a wireless communications device are secured in place by either adhesives or screws. For example, an internal battery pack may be secured inside the outer housing by gluing the battery pack to a portion of the housing, such as the rear half of the housing. Or, the printed circuit boards (PCB) within the wireless communications device will be secured to the housing via one or more screws which pass through holes in the PCB. Unfortunately, these and similar methods are less than ideal in that they require additional parts (adhesive or screws), require additional assembly steps (applying the glue or installing the screws), and may increase space requirements.
With the push for smaller, cheaper, and lighter wireless communications devices, there remains a need for an approach for securing electronic components within the wireless communications device that requires fewer parts and, preferably, reduces the complexity of manufacturing.